Food Trucks & Mobile Vendors in Kentucky (2026)
8 rules on the books across Kentucky, 3 cities and counties. Select a rule to read the full details.
Severity: Few Restrictions · Light Restrictions · Some Restrictions · Significant Restrictions · Heavy Restrictions
Food Truck Permits
Licenses and health permits required to operate a food truck, including fees, inspections, and renewal requirements.
Kentucky: statewide
StatewideSignificant RestrictionsEvery food truck operating in Kentucky needs a statewide mobile food unit permit, issued by the operator's home-county…
Read full rule →Lexington
Significant RestrictionsEach food truck operating in Lexington-Fayette needs its own license, the ordinance licenses per unit, not per…
Read full rule →Louisville
Some RestrictionsLouisville Metro requires anyone selling food from a vehicle on public streets to get a mobile vendor license from the…
Read full rule →Vending Zones
Designated areas where food trucks and mobile vendors can operate, including time limits, distance from restaurants, and residential area restrictions.
Boone County
Significant RestrictionsBoone County, Kentucky prohibits selling or giving away any merchandise, including food, on the public right-of-way…
Read full rule →Lexington
Significant RestrictionsLexington-Fayette bars peddlers and itinerant merchants from vending in parks without a permit, within 100 feet of a…
Read full rule →Louisville
Some RestrictionsLouisville Metro bars stationary food vendors from operating in Residential Zoned Districts, and mobile vendors must…
Read full rule →Sidewalk & Mobile Vending
Permits and rules for sidewalk vendors and pushcarts, where vending is allowed, cart and equipment standards, and the distance and hours rules that come with a vendor permit.
Lexington
Significant RestrictionsEvery peddler operating within Lexington-Fayette must secure a license from the division of revenue under Code § 15-7…
Read full rule →Louisville
Some RestrictionsLouisville Metro requires stationary vendors and carts to get a permit from Codes and Regulations, stay clear of…
Read full rule →